Need to make a decision ASAP!

BevG24 · January 14

I have two quotes to install either a Crown BSI103 steam boiler or a Burnham BURPIN6SNI-HE2 Steam Boiler. The home is a three family and this is for the second floor, which has radiators. Any advice is much appreciated.

ethicalpaul · January 14

450 vs 267 sq ft of steam, who is sizing these boilers for you, a roulette wheel?

In seriousness, these two boilers are vastly different sizes. It's good to have the correct size boiler.

I don't like the Burnham Independence series, there have been too many failures come through this forum for me to feel good about it, but the size mismatch is also concerning.

I like:

Peerless
Weil-McLain (or its cheaper equivalent Williamson)
even Utica I have to respect

In Crown vs Burnham I would pick Crown but I really don't know much about Crown.

Jamie Hall · January 14

One of those two boilers is just wrong. But I have no idea which… did either of those people even try to size them correctly?

mattmia2 · January 14

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1834746#Comment_1834746

It could be both.

KC_Jones · January 14

All the radiators need measured and the boiler size is developed from that. Either one measured and one didn't or neither measured.

If I was guessing, given it's one floor of a house, I'd speculate you want the smallest one available. So both of the ones suggested could be too big.

Without the radiator measurements it's literally like throwing darts at the wall, while blindfolded, after being spun in circles 20 times. Seriously.

We can help you calculate if you can get the height (from the floor) and width (in the front to back direction), and number of sections of each radiator, along with a picture of the end of each so we can see style. After that it should be fairly easy if they are relatively typical radiators.

EBEBRATT-Ed · January 14

Could be both are wrong as @mattmia said.

I would not go with Burnham. Crown is ok as is Utica, Peerless or Weil McLain

The installers competence is more important than the brand of boiler.

You need to make sure they pipe the boiler in accordance with the MFG instructions. Don't make the mistake of assuming they will do this; most will not open the manual even if they have 40 year's experience.

You need to measure all your radiators to come up with the right boiler. Any installer that does not do this is highly questionable

EdTheHeaterMan · January 14

Crown has changed their name to Velocity Boiler Works and is owned by US Boiler. I believe many of the Crown boiler castings are the same as the Burnham. I have known Crown to be an outstanding family owned boiler company from Philadelphia, since the purchase by US Boiler the Steingard family still holds a management position in the Philadelphia location. I would go with Crown over Burnham If I were to choose.

Regardless of the brand name of the boiler, I would go with the contractor that has the best reviews online, and with the contractor that is doing the proper measuring job to select the proper size boiler. The contractor is the bottom line in any HVAC decision.

I never liked Goodman Equipment and always thought that Lennox was the premium brand of equipment. That said , If a hack of an installer installed the Lennox and a true professional installed the Goodman, I would select the Goodman because the contractor is the more important choice.

Same with boilers and even more important with Steam Boilers

pecmsg · January 14

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/199905/need-to-make-a-decision-asap

do not rush this.
where is this house located?

BevG24 · January 14

House is located in Fall River Ma

My tenant hadn’t had heat in two days. The old burner has a cracked heat exchanger and is over 30 years old.

Property manager is getting these quotes for me. I don’t know anyone in the area. Thanks to all who commentated!

EBEBRATT-Ed · January 14

@There is always Steve Lav. You can watch his you tube videos

bburd · January 14

have you tried the "find a contractor" link on this site? @New England SteamWorks is not far from you.

mattmia2 · January 15

How cracked? It didn't just happen yesterday. You can run it for quite a while from when it starts leaking to when it is leaking so badly that it won't hold water.

BevG24 · January 15

I don’t know I don’t live there I’m in FL the house is in MA. I wish I knew how cracked. They say it was leaking on the pilot and making it go out.

ethicalpaul · January 15

Probably just a hole rotted through it. People always say "cracked" for some reason

Larry Weingarten · January 15

Hi, Just a crazy idea, but you might be able to buy a little time by putting a piece of sheet metal over the pilot assembly to divert the drip. 🤠

Yours, Larry

mattmia2 · January 15

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1834913#Comment_1834913

or some stop leak

Need to make a decision ASAP!

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